Public Employees

Some Virginia legislators are starting to think about ethical issues that erupted when former state Sen. Phil Puckett resigned and Del. Terry Kilgore confirmed he had discussed offering Puckett a lucrative post with the state tobacco commission. Puckett’s departure threw control of the state Senate to the GOP, and was one of a series of early departures from the legislature for high-paying state jobs. There’s a history of this in Virginia, since the part-time job of a legislator entitles them to full credit in the state pension plan – and a final three years at a top state job can up retirement pay quite nicely. Now, state Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax, has proposed...

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Former state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl, whose election drive was buoyed by significant backing from public employee unions, took a slim lead Tuesday over former Santa Monica City Council member Bobby Shriver in a pivotal race for an open seat on the Los...

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